By Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, Esq.
In an age when the children of public officials are sometimes associated more with privilege than responsibility, the family story of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori offers a different narrative, one built around discipline, the fear of God, education, hard work, self-reliance and family values.
The recent traditional marriage of his son, Innocent Oborevwori, to Tobore Arigbodi, daughter of prominent businessman Chief Brodericks Arigbodi, was therefore more than a colourful celebration of love and Urhobo culture; it provided an opportunity to reflect on the values with which the governor and his wife, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, have raised their children.
The gathering at Isiokolo, Ethiope East Local Government Area, attracted a remarkable cross-section of Delta’s political, business and traditional establishment, including former governors Chief James Ibori and Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Deputy Governor Sir Monday Onyeme, Senator Ede Dafinone, the Emir of Zazzau, His Highness Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, NDDC Chairman Chiedu Ebie and several other dignitaries. But beneath the glamour, music and traditional rites was a less conspicuous story: that of a father who, despite occupying one of the highest political offices in the state, has apparently insisted that his children must earn their own place in society rather than live merely on the privileges of their father’s position.
That philosophy is particularly significant in a society where the children of political office holders can easily become insulated from the realities faced by ordinary young Nigerians. Governor Oborevwori’s approach, as reflected in the family narrative, is that after graduation, his sons must become productive, either by securing legitimate employment and building careers or by venturing into business and creating opportunities for themselves. In other words, being the governor’s son is not a job description.
A family name may provide an introduction, but it cannot substitute for competence, diligence, character and the capacity to stand independently. The fact that Oborevwori sons have progressed into careers and business, are doing well in their respective endeavours and are now getting married one after another suggests a deliberate parental commitment to preparing them for adulthood rather than merely preparing them for privilege.
There is, however, another dimension to this story that should not be overlooked: faith. Oborevwori is not simply a politician who occasionally speaks about God; he is an Elder in the Living Faith Church Worldwide, popularly known as Winners’ Chapel, and the values of service and humility associated with his faith appear to have remained part of his public and private identity.
Perhaps the clearest illustration came during Shiloh 2025 at Faith Tabernacle, Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State, where the governor was seen performing ushering duties alongside other church workers during the annual programme presided over by Bishop David Oyedepo. Reports at the time noted that the sitting governor was helping to guide worshippers and assist with seating, an otherwise ordinary church responsibility that became remarkable precisely because of the office he occupies.
The significance of that moment lies not in the novelty of a governor serving as an usher, but in the lesson behind it. In a political environment where titles and status can sometimes create an exaggerated sense of importance, Oborevwori was seen carrying out a humble responsibility in the house of God. For a man who serves as a governor outside the church and an usher and Elder within it, the contrast is instructive: political authority does not make one too important to serve. His willingness to continue serving in the church despite the enormous responsibilities of public office speaks to a philosophy in which leadership is ultimately about service and humility.
That culture of humility and service is relevant to understanding how a parent might raise children. The fear of God, properly understood, is not merely about church attendance; it is about instilling a sense of accountability, knowing that privilege carries responsibility and that character matters when nobody is watching. It teaches a child that success without integrity is hollow, that wealth without purpose is insufficient and that position without service is ultimately empty. Those are precisely the values that become important when children of influential people reach adulthood and must make choices about careers, businesses, relationships and family.
The Oborevwori family story consequently goes beyond one wedding. Innocent’s marriage to Tobore Arigbodi represents another stage in the life of a young man who, like his brothers, is expected to build a career or business, become responsible for himself and eventually establish a family of his own. In that sense, each son’s graduation, transition into productive work or enterprise, and subsequent marriage becomes part of a broader parental project: raising children who can stand on their own feet, fear God, respect work and understand that their father’s office is not their inheritance.
This is where the personal story intersects with the larger question of leadership. The strongest evidence of a leader’s values is not always found on a political podium. Sometimes it is found in how he raises his children, how he treats people who cannot advance his political interests, and whether he remains willing to serve when his public status would allow him to demand that others serve him.
A governor who can stand among ordinary worshippers and perform ushering duties in his church is, at least symbolically, demonstrating that service should precede status. A father who expects his children to work after graduation rather than simply enjoy inherited privilege is demonstrating the same principle at home.
Nigeria needs more of this distinction between privilege and entitlement. There is nothing inherently wrong with a child benefiting from the opportunities created by a successful parent; the problem begins when opportunity becomes an excuse for indolence. The more admirable inheritance is one that combines opportunity with discipline, education with enterprise, wealth with responsibility and faith with character. By that measure, the Oborevwori family story is less about the spectacle of a governor’s son getting married and more about a father preparing his children for the responsibilities that come with adulthood.
The Isiokolo ceremony was, of course, a celebration of love, culture and the union of two families. It was also a gathering of political leaders, businessmen, traditional rulers and friends who came to share in the happiness of the Oborevwori and Arigbodi families. But beyond the music and celebration was a message worth noticing: the most enduring legacy of a public servant may not be the office he occupies or the political power he commands, but the values he successfully transfers to the next generation.
It is relatively easy for a powerful man to give his children access. It is harder to give them discipline. It is easy to leave children a name. It is harder to leave them character. And it is easy to raise children who know how to enjoy privilege; the real test is raising children who know how to work, serve, fear God and build something of their own.
As Governor Oborevwori’s sons continue, one after another, to establish their careers and businesses, marry and build families of their own, that may ultimately be the more meaningful story behind the celebrations: a father who understands that his responsibility is not merely to provide for his children, but to prepare them to become responsible adults capable of standing before God, contributing to society and carrying their own weight.
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Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe,, Esq, is the Director-General of the Delta State Bureau for Orientation and Communications, Governor’s Office Asaba. He’s a member of the International Communication Association (ICA).